Explore York Libraries and Archives

Thank you for visiting the Explore York Libraries and Archives Unity Lottery page.

We all know how important libraries are. Last year, Explore York had over 1 million visitors, more than 2,000 books were borrowed every day, we held 1,466 events and told 1,734 stories to children.

Libraries are not just rooms full of books. Whether it is being able to understand about a health condition, take part in local democracy or find a job, being literate leads to improved chances in life.

Children who have books at home and parents who read to them do better at school. We bring people and books together and everything we do is aimed at sharing the joy of reading.

In an age of fake news, librarians are essential guides to accurate information that can be trusted. By bringing cultural activities into local communities we nurture talent for the arts. We help people try out new technologies in a safe environment. We make sure that no-one need be left behind.

With your help we can do even more.

By joining the Explore York Unity Lottery you will be helping us continue our essential work. Your support could spark a child living in poverty to go to university. It could help a disabled person discover a hidden talent for art. Or it could help an older person to unlock a new world of digital opportunities.

You can find further information about our work below.

We hope you will join the Explore York Unity Lottery to help raise funds and we wish you lots of luck.

The promoter of this Unity Lottery is
Susan Brook, Clifton Explore Library, Rawcliffe Lane, York, YO30 SSJ. Registered with
City of York Council. Registration Number
64543

Frequently Asked Questions

How the Explore York Libraries and Archives lottery works

What is the Explore York Libraries and Archives lottery?

The Explore York Libraries and Archives lottery is a weekly lottery costing £1 per entry, per week. Our weekly lottery enables us to raise much-needed funds to help support our cause. The draw is run every Friday and each entry has the chance to win one of four amazing prizes, including the top prize of £25,000!

What is the Unity Lottery?

The Unity Lottery is a lottery platform which charities of all shapes and sizes can use to run their own fundraising lotteries. The Unity Lottery platform is administered by Sterling Management Centre Limited, a licensed External Lottery Manager (ELM) by the Gambling Commission.

Where does the money go?

For every £1 played, at least 50p goes directly to Explore York Libraries and Archives as profit. The other 50p is split between the prize pot and administration costs.

How can Explore York Libraries and Archives offer £25,000 as a top prize?

When you win a prize, this is covered by the Unity prize pot. This means that charities using Unity for their fundraising lotteries can offer a £25,000 jackpot and smaller prizes to their players.

What are the odds of winning a prize?

Each £1 entry has a 1 in 63 chance of winning one of four fantastic prizes. Every entry in Unity has an equal chance of winning, no matter which charity is being supported or how many players that good cause has in their lottery.

Can you guarantee the lottery is fair?

Yes, every entry has an equal chance of winning, and the winning numbers are drawn at random.

What can I win?

For every £1 you play each week, you'll receive a unique 6-digit lottery number.

Every Friday, a winning number is drawn at random. Match your digits to win up to £25,000!

The Explore York Libraries and Archives lottery is a number match game. We generate a random 6-digit winning number sequence. If your digits are in same positions as the digits in the winning number sequence, you win a prize!

For example, if the winning number sequence was 123456, the lottery number 163057 would be a 3-digit winning match; because 3 digits are positioned in the same place in the sequence.

3 digit match = 5 entries into the next draw

4 digit match = £25

5 digit match = £1,000

6 digit match = £25,000

Why am I receiving letters from Unity Lottery and not Explore York Libraries and Archives?

The Unity Lottery platform is what Explore York Libraries and Archives uses to run the lottery. As all lottery administration is handled by Sterling Management Centre Limited, who provide the Unity Lottery platform, all lottery communications come from them.

What are the Explore York Libraries and Archives lottery rules?

You can view our lottery rules here. The purpose of these rules is to ensure that you are informed about the terms of playing the Explore York Libraries and Archives lottery and to promote responsible gambling.

Is the Explore York Libraries and Archives lottery legal?

Yes. Explore York Libraries and Archives operates the lottery compliantly under licence from City of York Council and all administration is handled by Sterling Management Centre Limited, a certified External Lottery Manager (ELM) with the Gambling Commission.

Who do I contact about the lottery or my membership?

You can contact one of our friendly members of staff at the Unity Lottery helpline on 0370 050 9240 to discuss the lottery or your membership. (Lines are open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday) calls are charged at your local rate.

Can I choose my own lottery numbers?

No. Your lottery number is randomly allocated when you sign up and stays with you for the duration of your membership in the Explore York Libraries and Archives lottery. Once you have entered, you will be sent confirmation of your unique lottery number by post.

Can I have more than one entry?

Yes. Each £1 lottery entry grants you 1 ‘chance’ to win a prize. In accordance with our commitment to responsible gambling, however, we allow a maximum of 20 chances for each Friday draw.

How old do I have to be to enter?

The minimum age to enter the Explore York Libraries and Archives lottery is 16.

What happens if I lose connection to the internet while joining online?

If you are trying to submit your Direct Debit or Credit/Debit card details and you lose your internet connection, we advise you to contact our helpline on 0370 050 9240 to confirm if we have received your entry.

Are my entries eligible for Gift Aid?

No. Unfortunately, we cannot claim Gift Aid on funds raised through the lottery.

You’ve joined the Explore York Libraries and Archives lottery – what now?

I’ve signed up to join the Explore York Libraries and Archives lottery in Unity. What happens now?

If you have signed up online, you will receive a welcome email which will detail confirmation of your entry into the lottery. From this point, or if you have signed up using a PDF sign up form, you will receive a confirmation letter within the next 21 days containing details of your lottery number(s) and our intent to claim funds if you have signed up by Direct Debit.

Once we have received your payment, you will be entered into each available weekly lottery draw as long as you have credit available against your lottery number.

Why is there a delay between registration and entry into the draw?

Following registration, it is necessary to complete several administrative processes which include verifying your payment details with your bank, claiming the funds from your bank account and the funds being received.

Why is the Direct Debit £4.34 per month and not £4.00?

The monthly cost breakdown of £4.34 for playing the lottery is based on paying £1 per week over a 52-week year. Direct Debits for this amount are collected once a month and sometimes there will be five weeks in a month, so the additional 34p is to build up credit to cover the fifth week in these instances.

Where do I find the winning numbers?

How do I claim my winnings?

There’s no need to claim any prizes if you win. We will send any winning cheques directly to your registered address! If you match 3 digits in the correct sequence, your winning prize of 5 additional entries will be automatically entered into the next lottery draw.

Your Explore York Libraries and Archives lottery membership

I have lost my lottery number(s)! What should I do?

If you want to check your lottery numbers, you can contact our friendly helpline team on 0370 050 9240 (Lines are open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday) calls are charged at your local rate.

How do I cancel my membership?

If you want to cancel your lottery membership, please contact our friendly helpline team on 0370 050 9240 (Lines are open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday) calls are charged at your local rate.

I have moved address or my name has changed, do I need to tell anyone?

Yes. If you have changed your address, it is important that you notify us, otherwise, we won’t be able to send you your winning cheque. To inform us of an address change, please contact our friendly hotline team on 0370 050 9240 (Lines are open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday) calls are charged at your local rate.

What is responsible gambling?

Responsible gambling means staying in control of how much time and money we spend on gambling. Responsible gambling means not spending more money or time than we can reasonably afford on gambling activities, keeping in mind all our other responsibilities in life.

I would like to speak to someone about a gambling problem, can you help?

To speak to someone about a gambling problem, contact the BeGambleAware confidential helpline on 0808 8020 133 or visit their website at www.gambleaware.co.uk for further information.

How do I make a complaint?

If you have any concerns, please get in touch with us on 0370 050 9240 or use our contact form, and we will endeavour to answer any queries you may have. (Lines are open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday) calls are charged at your local rate.

How do I self-exclude myself from entering the Explore York Libraries and Archives lottery?

If you feel you may be susceptible to gambling problems and would like to ask that you are excluded from the lottery, please download our self-exclusion policy.

Prizes & Odds

Questions?

The Unity Lottery is a common brand lottery jointly promoted by Sterling Management Centre and individual society lotteries. Each Lottery operated under Unity is a separate licensed lottery, operated by and supporting that particular good cause. Unity is administered by Sterling Management Centre, a registered External Lottery Manager, licensed by the Gambling Commission. http://sterlinglotteries.co.uk

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